officers - The Black Vault

•
were violated," that he deserved a "fair and
impartial hearing."
"It was almost a public execution," said
Capt. Francisco Pegueros, who commands the
LAPD jail, "without the defendant being
given the opportunity to state his case.~·
As glum officers tried to go about their jobs
in Parker Center, the word of Gates' departure
filtered out quickly to the LAPD's
outlying substations-on radio,.on television,
by telephone or word of mouth. There was no
official announcement from the department,
no memorandum or radio broadcast. No
matter; as one officer said, news travels fast
through the LAPD's tight-kni.t ranks.
In South-Central Los Angeles, Lt. Michael
Moulin heard from one of his supervisors,
who was on hand at Parker Center for the
Police Commission's announcement. In Reseda,
Officer Russell Long found out when
civilians called in tO. express their support for
.the chief. In San Pedro, Lt. Betty Kelepecz
caught the tail end of a live television report.
"Oh, no," she said to herself. "This is a bad
~e to take our chief away."
• With the department still in
tkmoil over the King beating,
Jilany of Kelepecz's colleagues
~ed her views. They worried
that Gates' departure will only
f'urther demoralize the LAPD at a
tlme when its public image has
iieen severely damaged.
i The officers' ire, for the most
wrt. was directed at Mayor Tom
~radley, who three days ago called
qpon Gates to resign and who
i}Ppoints the Police Commission
tjlat suspended the chief. Some said
~e LAPD, which has prided Itself
qn being fre~ of corruption and
riti~ influence, is now in danger
osing that independence. .
'Our politicians are using· our
ef of police as a political pawn,"
4eclared LL Moulin, who works in
~e 77th Street Division. "That'e
what the. mayor has wanted all
along. He has wanted absolute
control over the Police Department
so he can manipulate us and the
chief .like little pawns, like they do
in other cities around the country."
Said Detective Roger Gripe, who
works at Parker Center: "When
· they do this to the chief of police,
they did it to me as well as all of
the rest of the officers. I kind of
feel betrayed by the city, the
·politicians, the City Council and
especially the mayor."
Several spoke of the LAPD as a
family, with Gates us the father
figure. But their weirds were not
n~cessary; signs of support were
everywhere. Their patrol cars
sported bumper stickers that proclaimed:
"We support Chief Gates."
In Parker Center, nearly every
office was adorned with photocopied
drawings of an LAPD ·badge
that read: "Chief Gates Please
Stay."
On the eighth floor, Sgt. Ronald
Sullivan, a 24-year LAPD veteran,
talked of the chief over a hamand-salami
sandwich. "I think he's
a good man," said Sullivan, who
supervises the department's recruitment
efforts. "He's been an
outstanding chief. In my time, he
has guided the department with
deep devotion to duty."
Behind Sullivan hung a huge
recruitment poster. It featured a
smiling Gates, dressed in uniform-a
photograph taken ln happier
times. "Stand and deliver," the
poster beckoned. "Come join our
family." ·
Times staff writers Fred Muir anc
Paul Lieberman contributed to thh
article.
JOSEGALVEZ I Los Angeles Times
Support for the chief is strong at Parker Center, as typified by this message and symbol.